Saturday, July 27, 2013

Stitching Saturday: Dr. Who Scarf, part 2

Well, guys, I finished it! It was with much relief that I finished my last 20 rows and bound off - this is the longest scarf I've ever completed, and to be done in under a month was quite a feat for my easily-distracted self. Now I just have about a billion loose ends to weave in.

Here are the yarns after finishing the scarf:

I started off with 1 skein each of Vanna's Choice in the colors recommended in this pattern. You can see the off-white shade got the most use, but I didn't need 2 skeins, as the pattern recommended. My only substitution was a darker purple - I used eggplant instead.

And, because I'm a nut, I already purchased wools to make another scarf!

I was never quite happy with the colors in Vanna's Choice, and the roughness of the acrylic yarn under my fingers. Wool is scratchy, but it still feels better as I knit.

At a reader's suggestion, I'm trying this pattern in Knit Picks Worsted yarn.

Here are the red, green, mustard, and gray - Vanna's Choice on top, Knit Picks bottom. These are almost exactly the same - the olive green is a tad lighter and a truer olive green. Gold is a bit more muted, which I like. For the gray, I chose Cobblestone Heather instead of Bramble Heather, which is a warmer gray - I might change my mind on that:

The purple and brown are the most different - because I used Eggplant in the first pattern, and I because I chose a different brown for the second pattern - Brown Sugar instead of Amber Heather:

I've found the off-white shade to be the trickiest decision - the patterns on Witty Little Knitter use a lighter shade - examples 1 and 2. The Dr Who Scarf site calls for a darker shade - example 3:

I've decided to just try out the Almond shade - so far I find it a bit dark, but I might like it when paired up with the rest of the colors... Can you tell yet that I'm kind of obsessive about color matching? It can be exhausting! :)

I purchased 2 reds suggested on the Dr. Who Scarf site, for comparison:

They are all pretty similar. The Knit Picks is a cooler red, with a heather pattern that is more visible in real life than in the photo. From a distance, it's pretty interchangeable with the Love This Wool, so I'll probably just use all Knit Picks yarn for this round.

I'll be using size 7 needles, and knitting furiously. Let's see if I get this one done in a month as well!